알파경제 - Foreign Patients in Korea Surpass 1 Million for First Time, Spending KRW 1.4 Trillion on Medical Services

Photo courtesy of Yonhap News

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL – South Korea welcomed a record 1.17 million foreign patients in 2023, marking the first time the figure has surpassed the one-million mark since the government began tracking medical tourism in 2009.



According to data released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), foreign patients spent KRW 1.405 trillion on medical services last year using overseas-issued credit cards — averaging KRW 1.53 million per patient.



Notably, dermatology (KRW 585.5 billion) and plastic surgery (KRW 359.4 billion) outpaced spending at department stores (KRW 278.8 billion) and duty-free shops (KRW 188.4 billion), underscoring the global appeal of “K-Medical”.



By nationality, Japan led with over 441,000 patients, followed by China (260,000), the U.S. (101,000), Taiwan (83,000), and Thailand (38,000). Among Japanese visitors, 94% were women and 74% were in their 20s and 30s, highlighting a strong beauty-focused demand.



Dermatology accounted for 56.6% of all foreign patients, followed by plastic surgery (11.4%), internal medicine (10.0%), health checkups (4.5%), and traditional Korean medicine (2.7%). Dermatology saw the sharpest growth with a 194.9% year-on-year increase.



Most foreign patients — 82% — visited clinics, a 138.4% jump from the previous year, while visits to general hospitals and tertiary hospitals declined by 14.4% and 7.6%, respectively.



KHIDI projects that the number of foreign patients will continue to rise, reaching 1.3 to 1.4 million in 2024.
 

알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)